Community keeps pool afloat

In the shallow part of the L-shaped Hubbard Community Pool on Thursday morning, 14 people were making some waves.

The music was booming, and Senior Splash class instructor Patrick Goclano was on the pool deck.

For the next hour, said the pool’s aquatic director, Craig Yaniglos, Goclano would lead his class in some aerobics that included light jogging and some jumping jacks.

It is one of many fitness classes for all age groups that the pool offers, along with open swims, lap swims, swimming lessons and rentals for events, Yaniglos said.

Children from 6 months to 3 years old can take the Swim with Mom and Dad class, and the seniors can participate not only in Senior Splash for flexibility and strength, but a gentler arthritis class as well.

It’s those in-between ages that aren’t coming to the pool in the numbers Yaniglos would like to see, he said as he took a seat in his office — people in their 20s, 30s and 40s who don’t realize what a really good workout they can get there.

“I love working with seniors,” said Yaniglos, whom the school district hired in 2005 to run the pool and open it up to the community to make enough money to keep it open. “And I [also] love beating up on people in my fitness classes!”

Classes such as Shallow Water Aerobics, a mix of cardio, strength training and stretching exercises; and Deep Water Aerobics, “a tough class with no impact,” are designed to challenge.

Then there are the small-group premium exercise sessions, which include Yoqua; HydroPilates; Aqua Combat; Aqua Pi-Yo-Chi; Bootcamp Circuit; and Tabata.

So next time you’re thinking about hitting the gym for a hard workout, you might want to think about hitting the pool instead.

“Aquatic fitness is the best exercise, because it builds muscle, builds endurance and there’s minimal to no impact on joints,” Yaniglos said.

Yaniglos said that since he was hired, the pool’s focus has shifted more toward community programs, though the school still uses it.

It allows the schools to continue to offer the sport of swimming while other school districts have had to close their pools, he said.

The pools are simply too expensive to operate, he said.

The Hubbard pool, on the school’s campus on Hall Avenue, was built with money from a bond issue in 1975. It closed in 2003 because the roof was going to collapse, he said, and the district decided to fix it and to make it solvent — it was costing $200,000 to $300,000 a year.

The pool does have $100,000 from a 1985 operating levy, he said. Its other income is from memberships, lessons, rentals, swim meets and renting the pool out to special groups.

There are various membership packages available. You do not have to be a Hubbard resident to be a member. Scheduling and membership information is available at www.hubbardpool.com.

The pool has slowly worked its way out of debt, Yaniglos said. Last year, it made $25,000. This year, it made $36,000.

Back in the water, Senior Splash had wound down and the class was climbing out.

Clearly a tight-knit group whose members have known one another a long time, they talked about what the pool has meant to them.

“It really helps, because I had two replaced shoulders and two replaced knees,” said Betty Pratt of Girard.

June Davis of Hubbard, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1991, said she has belonged to the pool for eight years.

It helps, she said. “And they help me,” she said, indicating her friends. “They carry me to the water,” she joked.

“Everyone here is great,” said Mary Jo Addis, who drives over from Sharpsville, Pa. “It’s like a little family.”

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